Giau is one of those passes that makes you slow down on purpose. At 2,236 metres it crosses between the valley of Selva di Cadore and the Cortina side of the Dolomites, climbing out of dark spruce forest onto an open saddle of short grass, boulders and scattered chalets, with the jagged ridge of Ra Gusela and the table-like top of Nuvolau rising to the north. The villages below, Selva di Cadore and Colle Santa Lucia, are tiny and Ladin-speaking, and the ancient Ladin culture of these valleys gives this part of the Dolomites a different flavour from the German-speaking Alto Adige on the far side of the range.
The road is narrow, and the hairpins come one after another on the southern climb, tight enough that first and second gear are the right choices. The surface is generally good, though frost heave leaves a few ripples, and on a summer weekend you share it with cyclists and cars. Early morning is by far the best time, when the light slants across the rocks and the meadows are still wet. By afternoon cloud often builds around the summits, and thunderstorms can roll in quickly, so keep an eye on the sky and have a waterproof layer within reach.
At the top, a small refuge sells coffee and simple food, and marmots whistle from the slopes and sometimes pose near the car park. The flowers in July are extraordinary, especially gentians and orchids. The mountain called Croda da Lago stands a little further to the east, a hanging wall of rock above a small lake that makes a rewarding walk if you have time. In the First World War, this front line ran through these peaks, and the remains of trenches and tunnels can still be found on the surrounding mountains.
The pass is normally snow-free from early summer into October, but check before you go, because heavy snow can close it earlier or later. Cortina d'Ampezzo, nine kilometres away, has several stations, and it is the sensible place to fill up before heading back to Falzarego.
Finishing here feels fitting. After the long climb and the views, the descent to the valley and a plate of pasta in Cortina is the perfect reward.